This is the April Volunteer Newsletter 2010
If you want to participate in any of the opportunities please contact the organisation directly.
To give us feedback, get details on anything listed in this months emailing or to arrange a chat, please get in touch with the Volunteer Centre:
Telephone: 0191 232 6616
Email: info@volunteercentrenewcastle.org.uk
Web: http://www.volunteercentrenewcastle.org.uk/feedback.php
Come and talk to us about improving your health and wellbeing through Volunteering – from admin to gardening, to retail.
One offs
Volunteer centre Newcastle
Spring Clean in the St Lawrence Park Byker
If you would like to take part in a taster session in volunteering to boost your confidence then ring us and join us at St Lawrence Park in Byker. On Wednesday 28th April from 1.30 – 3.30 the staff from Volunteer Centre Newcastle and Groundworks South Tyneside will be spring cleaning and creating a wildlife garden.
No gardening skills needed just enthusiasm and the willingness to get involved with a new group
Dare to give your soul a new coat of paint and be part of a view-changing experience!
Interested contact Gemma or Karen on 0191 2326616
![Volunteers Week 2010 logo]()
Celebrating volunteering
Volunteers’ Week 1st – 7th June 2010
Volunteers’ Week is an annual event which celebrates the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK. The Week plays a huge part in raising the profile of the millions of volunteers who regularly contribute to society, while inspiring others to get involved too. As part of the annual celebration of volunteers and volunteering during Volunteers' Week we would love to hear what volunteering means to you. The national theme for 2010 is "Inspiring and Celebrating” and we would welcome any stories that reflect these important parts of the volunteering experience.
This is your chance to tell people about your experiences of being a volunteer.
If you want to tell us your story of volunteering, share photos or memories please email Karen kwatson@csv.org.uk and we will write a special newsletter celebrating all of your stories.
Newcastle Community Green Festival is back and will take place on Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th June 2010.
The Green Festival is an annual community based environmental festival that aims to use creative artistic and musical activities to raise awareness about environmental issues and demonstrate positive environmental solutions to these problems.
The festival is 100% volunteer run and relies on the enthusiasm of people from the local community and beyond to make the festival a success. We are currently putting together a team of volunteers to help with the planning, setup, running and dismantling of the festival. There are lots of different roles to suit everyone who wants to be involved - just get in touch!
A special volunteer website has been set up describing all the different ways individuals and organisations can get involved. There is also a registration form for those interested in volunteering. Visit http://sites.google.com/site/greenfestivalvolunteers. You can also contact the green festival volunteer coordinator, Simon, at greenfestivalvolunteers@gmail.com.
Race for Life – Cancer Research UK
Newcastle – Sunday 11th July – Exhibition Park (2 events 10.30am and 2.30pm)
Cancer Research UK's Race for Life, supported by Tesco, is the UK's biggest women-only fundraising event, in which participants run, walk or jog 5km in venues all over the country. We need lots of volunteers before the event to help promote and spread awareness. On the day of the event you can help prepare the park, make up goody bags, act as marshals and cheer the women on, help on the finish line and at the end of both events help take down the flags and restore the park to all its glory.
This is a hugely poignant day for many involved and is vibrant and a celebration – you could help make a difference by giving us your time.
Although the race is women only we WELCOME men as volunteers so if interested Register on the official website which is: www.raceforlife.org and click on the ‘Support Race for Life’ tab or alternatively follow this link below http://www.raceforlife.org/support-race-for-life/volunteer.aspx
The SunWalk Newcastle
Walk to the Beat with The SunWalk Newcastle 2010
Walk the Walk the UK's leading breast cancer charity is delighted to be returning to Newcastle for the second SunWalk on the 18th July. Hundreds of women, men and children will take up their challenge of 5k, 10k or a half marathon and will pound the streets of Newcastle many wearing decorated bras.
All united in raising awareness, raising money, getting fit and having fun!! The Bootleg Beatles will add to the wonderful atmosphere in Exhibition Park with everybody getting into this years theme of Flower Power.
It is hoped that The SunWalk Newcastle 2010 will raise £250,000 for vital breast cancer causes throughout the UK, and help towards improving the quality of life and treatments for cancer patients in the City.
This day could not happen without an amazing team of volunteers. Walk the Walk are looking for a small army to help in numerous roles from manning water stations, handing out medals, keeping the walkers going in the right direction, driving support vehicles and cycling along the route.
If you would like to be part of this fantastic day either as a volunteer or a walker just visit walkthewalk.org or call The Walk the Walk team on 01483 741430.
One thing is guaranteed you will have a day to remember!!!
Recyke Y Bike
We shall need volunteers this Spring and Summer in Newcastle Civic Centre, Bill Quay Community Farm, Hexham , South Shields. Team Green Britain Bike Week is 19th to 27th June this year. It'll be just helping to run the stall - no bike expertise needed. Any questions they can't answer can be passed on to a RyB expert. We don't sell anything - just give out leaflets and do a bit of networking
Volunteers wishing to help out at Recyke y'Bike events throughout the spring and summer should send an email to
FAO Alex recyke@cooptel.net
Children’s Foundation
The Children’s Foundation has the following supermarket collections coming up:
Collection at Asda, Ashington.
Saturday 15th May 2010.
We need volunteers to collect during these times: 10am-12, 12-2pm and 2pm-4pm.
Collection at Asda, MetroCentre
Saturday 19th July
We need volunteers to collect during these times: 10am-12, 12-2pm and 2pm-4pm.
For more information contact Rachel on 0191 282 0894 or email rachel.atkinson@nuth.nhs.uk
ALWAYS WANTED TO RUN A FARM?
Are you sick of the rat race? Wish your life was more “Good Life” than “This Life”?
Is a day on the allotment your idea of heaven? Think you can run your own business?
BBC is looking for ten couples to take part in a new series which will really put your
aptitude for farming to the test. The series we are working on will feature ten couples or pairs (married couples / siblings / friends etc.) who would like to grasp the opportunity to change their lives forever and run a farm/small holding. The programme will see the ten couples learn all the basics they need before decamping to a farm in the beautiful British countryside where they will be challenged in all areas of farm life, from animal husbandry to coping with the unpredictable summer weather. The series will culminate in the winning pair getting the opportunity to live and work on their own small farm.
We’re looking for couples of all ages and relationships (married couples / siblings / friends etc.) who are serious about wanting to change their lives and who will relish farm life. Whether it’s a love of animals, a passion for gardening, an interest in sustainability and food provenance or a general lust for all things outdoors, we want to hear from anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to take on this lifestyle-transforming project. We are really keen to have some city slickers and some urbanites in the series as well though, people who would be keen to make a break from London into the British countryside.
We are especially looking for people who may already have some experience in working or volunteering with animals, food or nature, just some kind of demonstrated interest that would make them a credible and hopefully successful small holding partnership. We imagined and hoped there might be many such people using the volunteer centre and involved in self-sufficiency, sustainability, conservation, the environment, animals, food or nature (basically anything outdoors!) now or in the past with you who would jump at the opportunity to take their breeding, growing or craft skills to another level with the assistance of our project.
If people want to apply they need to send an email with their name to farm@splashmediatv.co.uk and an application form will be emailed out. The deadline for applications is 28th April 2010 – You must be available for 6 weeks over the summer 2010
On going Opportunities
Ouseburn Valley Volunteers
Graphic designer - websites
This is an exciting role open to anyone over 16 not in full-time education or employment.
We are looking for a volunteer with some skill and experience as a graphic designer to help us with a range of projects and tasks, including:
à Designing posters, flyers and leaflets for events and organisations in the Ouseburn
à Demonstrating and teaching other volunteers about good design principles
à Helping volunteer teams to create display materials
à Working closely with the web team of volunteers to design websites for our partners and projects.
This is an ideal role for anyone looking to develop a design portfolio, as we have numerous partners offering the chance to try out different projects.
You must be available on Thursday mornings
For more information contact Kirsten info@ouseburntrust.org.uk 0191 261 6596
Taking Liberties
We are looking for refugees, asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers, and migrant workers and their families to participate in the Taking Liberties project.
The project aims to build on a major British Library exhibition, which focuses on human rights.
We wish to invite people who are interested in human rights to come to a series of workshops and learn about the history of the region.
We will also be making a documentary, for which we will teach people film making skills, such as editing and camera work.
The project is interested in people's stories, and so if you have a story about your journey to Newcastle that you would like to tell, then we would love to hear it.
The project will last nine months, there is no closing date for applications and people can come to as many workshops as they want. We don't want language to be a barrier and we welcome people with all levels of English. If you want to bring a friend along to help you understand English, then they are also welcome.
Contact Lexy Seedhouse 07769173613 alexandra.seedhouse@newcastle.gov.uk
Oxfam Percy Street
Till Operaters
Oxfam Percy street is one of the biggest Charity shops in the city, in order to continue to thrive we are always looking for support operating the tills and dealing with customer Enquires.
Ebay volunteer
We are also looking to develop an EBAY service selling some of our donated rare items online – this would be ideal for anyone of a love and intrest in Ebay, from researching the worth of the item, to description to selling processing and packaging
Interested contact Yvonne on 0191 2220358 or oxfamshopf0221@oxfam.org.uk
Newcastle Society for Blind People
We need 1 or 2 volunteers to give support to students in one of our IT classes.
This class is on Monday’s 3pm-5pm and has 5 students using Supernova speech software. Help is needed to assist the tutor who is in constant demand from the students. The volunteer(s) will be required to give help when needed. A tutorial on the software can be arranged for the volunteer prior to starting work with the group although the majority of experience gained will be ‘on the job’. All of our students have different levels of sight loss from partial sight to total blindness. The volunteers can start immediately and attend the vision awareness training at a later date as they will be constantly supervised initially. We will also arrange CRB checks. Classes are during term time only.
Contact Andrea Taylor on 0191 2327292 or email andrea@nsbp.co.uk
WRVS Speech After Stroke Clubs
Mini Bus Driver
Are you interested in driving our minibus, available on a Tuesday and Wednesday?
The Driver, accompanied by another volunteer, uses the minibus or our car to collect the members of the Speech After Stroke from their homes and take them to the club meeting. After the club meeting the Driver and the volunteer takes the members home again.
Most meetings are held in St Clement’s Court, but as an alternative the clubs frequently go on outings, during the meeting time, to a variety of locations: the seaside, National Trust Properties and outdoor museums. Outings are by minibus and car.
Contact Maureen Ford 01912171675 maureenford@hotmail.co.uk
Changemakers
Youth Action Team (YAT)
Exciting News! We’re recruiting our 10/11 Youth Action Team (YAT). For those of you who don’t already know YATs are groups of young people who promote volunteering in their local communities. Young People 16-25 from across Newcastle are invited to apply. There are 15 places this year and we would love to see some enthusiastic young people representing other young people from their communities
You will be required to attend group meetings and any important date in the diary i.e. launches celebrations and showcasing events. There are no limits within this role and we are keen to appoint the roles to applicants who can make the role their own. You will also have the chance to represent your area at the regional YAT residential this summer.
Darren Irvine 0191 2267330 or email me Darren@changemakers.org.uk
Nightspot - DePaul UK
Nightstop North East provides emergency accommodation for homeless and vulnerable young people aged 16-25 years in the homes of volunteer 'hosts' on a night at a time basis. The project works with young people and hosts across the Tyne and Wear area.
Aim of the volunteer drive role
Volunteer drivers will provide transport for the young people using the service to enable them to access the accommodation. The driver will meet the young person at a pre arranged meeting point and on arrival at the host's home, introduce the young person to their host.
Aim of the hosts
Hosts
Volunteer hosts will provide a room in their home for a homeless young person to stay in overnight as a safe alternative to sleeping on the streets. Hosts are trained and supported to provide a “safe space to Breathe”
For more information contact 0191 253 6161 kester.young@depauluk.org
British Red Cross
FIRE AND EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICE
